We know what you’ll be doing next season.

The first sign that life is returning to normal is the release of the football fixtures. Gone are the weeks of wondering who you will be watching beat us, and on which dates. The list is confirmed. It looks daunting, given the absence of players and the fact that some of the catering staff might have to play.

We play Shrewsbury in our opening game. Apparently they have just been taken over, so they will arrive in a flush of post-takeover optimism. We can but hope that we ourselves are in a similar state of delirium, but I doubt it. Boxing Day sees us entertain Accrington, Good Friday has us at home to Grimsby, and our final game of the season is away to Salford City.

One big change is that those wacky administrators at FIFA have introduced longer international breaks for the coming season. The first runs from 21st September until 6th October. Then there is one from 9th to 17th November, followed by a break between 22nd and 30th March. This means that the home game against Walsall, the away game at Chesterfield, and the away game at Fleetwood are all likely to be live on Sky, shown on the Saturday. There are a further six games scheduled for a Tuesday, which should also be available on the box. That makes nine games to watch for those who don’t want to make the trips. My preference is to go to games, but for the armchair fan there’s a fair bit on offer.

Now, if I owned the club, I would look at the fixture list from a different perspective. I would want to understand when our lowest-income periods would be. November looks like a month when cash flow may be under pressure. At the moment, we have one home game, against Colchester United. That’s unlikely to produce a bumper crowd. We also have the FA Cup first round at the start of the month, but again, we can’t bank on a bumper gate. There is also a bit of a dip in February, but that might be compensated for when Vale come to Prenton Park.

From my perspective, I also look at potential away days. For me, the games away at Fleetwood and Bristol Rovers are attractive in November. The away game at Crewe in December, Cheltenham at the end of January, Shrewsbury and Accrington in March, and York and Rochdale in April all look possible. Much will depend on how we’re doing. If we are in a relegation struggle, those away games become more important, meaning I’m more likely to go. And I could be wrong, but I doubt that we will be pushing for promotion.

Recent seasons make me realise that our performances mean few games are mouth-watering. The local derbies should fulfilthis description, but there’s little joy in getting hammered by Tranmere Old Boys (aka Oldham Athletic) or Crewe. Yet maybe, just maybe, this season will be different. Right now,we can fantasise. Pretend that the run-in makes our promotion a certainty. Or that we can build a good cushion of points to keep us in the top six this side of Christmas. The new fixture list allows for no end of possible indulgences. And as always, it’s the hope that kills you.